Viduka Watch: Middlesbrough's Triumph

Last night I watched one of the most amazing games of football I have seen for a long time: Middlesbrough vs. Steau Bucharest in the Uefa Cup semi-final. Middlesbrough lost 1-0 in the first leg, yet in the first 25 minutes they conceded a further 2 goals. The Teesiders were 3-0 down on aggregate and needing to score at least 4 goals to go through to the final. As history now attests, Middlesbrough scored the four necessary goals, but reading match reports doesn't capture the true thrill of this game.

Middlesbrough had a match winner for each of the four goals: Maccarone, Downing, Boateng and Australia’s very own Mark Viduka.

Boateng controlled the midfield from the 25th minute. Maccarone provided two goals and was always dangerous on the right wing while Downing played a huge hand in the last three of Middlesbrough's goals.

Maccarone may have grabbed the headlines but what caught this Australian's eye was the huge part Viduka played in this amazing comeback. For the first 25 minutes Boro were dreadful and the front two of Hasselbaink and Viduka received terrible service. Without exaggeration, the upset yet determined look in Viduka's eyes at the restart following the second goal was enough to remind one that there was still 70 minutes of football to play.

For the next 70 minutes, Mark Viduka played one of the best centre-forward's games this observer has ever seen. Yakubu and Hasselbaink may have scored more goals than our Mark this season but as their recent results show, he is the focal point up forward for this team. His superb holding-up of the ball and simple passes brought the wide players into the game and allowed Boro to launch attacks from deep within their opponents half.

Viduka's goal was courageous. Earlier crosses had come into the box but had been directed at Hasselbaink- he is not a barging physical presence like our Dukes - and the Steau keeper collected easily. When an inviting cross did come Viduka's way the keeper had no such ease. He ran straight at the ball and contested, at some point finding the presence of mind to direct the ball into the net. Game on! It was 2-3 on aggregate with 25 minutes to play. Two more goals were required.

The game reached its unexpected conclusion, Middlesbrough 4 - Steau Bucharest 3, and the party started in the North East of England. Viduka didn't score again but his performance reminded this doubting Thomas how important a strong centre-forward is to a team (without the flair of Brazilians) to building attacks and maintaining pressure on the opposition.

I'm sure Viduka would rate his performance as high as his 4 goals for Leeds against Liverpool years ago. He worked hard for the team and is now in a European Cup Final. His value to the Australian team cannot be doubted. I certainly hope that from the kick-off against Japan that same steely look is in the eyes of our potentially devastating number 9.

A World Cup bolter?

Neil Kilkenny, the Birmingham City midfielder, could be a shock call-up to Australia's World Cup squad. Born in Enfield, England but raised in Brisbane, Australia, the Socceroos officials have only recently discovered the 20 year old has an Australian passport.

With a name like Kilkenny it is no surprise the 20 year old is eligible to play for both Ireland and England. He has already represented both countries at youth level, but none of his caps have so far come in competitive games and so he is eligible to switch.

Australian assistant coach Graham Arnold has confirmed that Guus Hiddink will decide whether Kilkenny pulls on the green and gold shirt.

"I've spoken to his dad and I've spoken to Neil and they're both very, very keen," Socceroos assistant coach Graham Arnold said.

"There’s no guarantee but we're putting together a DVD to show Guus Hiddink and see what he thinks."

Kilkenny, a goal scoring midfielder, moved to Birmingham City from Arsenal's highly rated Academy and manager Steve Bruce believes he is a player of great quality and he remains an exciting new talent.

It was Socceroo veteran and Birmingham team-mate, Stan Lazaridis, who stumbled upon Kilkenny's eligibility.

"It was a chance conversation, really, because I never really knew his background until a couple of months ago," Lazaridis explained.

"But when I met his parents they told me how Neil had been brought up in Brisbane, they told me he had an Aussie passport, so I made a couple of calls back home to let people know.

"It's a bit of good news, really. He's a real footballer, and he can be a big part of the next generation, definitely. I mean, he wants to play for Australia, so what have we got to lose?"

Houllier tipped to take over from Hiddink

As The Soccer Squirrel revealed first Gerrard Houllier is being strongly linked to replace Guus Hiddink who is stepping down after the 2006 World Cup in order to coach the Russian national side.

The Soccer Squirrel first nominated Houllier as the man to replace Hiddink on April 11th, “Hou is the perfect man for the Australia job?” days before the top selling Australian newspapers linked him to the job. The story is gaining momentum in Europe as Houllier has one year left on his contract at Lyon and it is unknown if he will be offered anything longer.

Houllier has just guided Lyon to their second successive championship in the French Championnat. Lyon also made it to the quarter finals of the Champions League this season before being knocked out by Italian side AC Milan.

Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy has been sounding out possible candidates and sources close to Lowy claim Houllier is top of his wanted list.

“You know what I think. We are looking for an internationally renowned coach,” Lowy told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“We are making tentative inquiries, and some inquiries have been made of us. I expect at the completion of the World Cup competition we will make an announcement. I would hope so.

“We can't have a coach who doesn't come to Australia, because there's a lot more to the game than just coming here for the competitive matches. He must impart his knowledge, and experience.”

Lowy also poured cold water on the chances of current assistant coaches Graham Arnold and Johan Neeskens taking over from Hiddink.

“They are a good combination - Graham Arnold has been with the team for a long time, and Neeskens is a well-qualified coach with considerable experience,” added Lowy.

“But we are looking for somebody with international experience to take the Socceroos to a much higher level than they are now.”

Socceroo Player Preview: Tim Cahill

Socceroo midfielder Tim Cahill's World Cup chances are hanging by a thread after his club Everton revealed that he has suffered knee ligament damage and will be out of action for 6 weeks. The 26 year old was injured in Everton's 0-0 draw with Birmingham on Saturday.

Cahill had a slow start to his second season in the Premiership, his form mirroring that of his club. When Cahill started chiming in with goals the Toffees began their climb up the table. In his first season in the Premiership Cahill scored 11 league goals on the way to helping Everton finish 4th and qualify for the Champions League. In 32 appearances this season the heart on his sleeve Aussie has scored 6 league goals.

If Cahill was to miss out on a place in the World Cup squad it will be a huge loss for Australia as the goal scoring midfielder is a big game player. His most notable big game performance was when he scored the winner for Millwall in the FA Cup semi-final in 2004.

Hiddink will most likely give Cahill the benefit of the doubt and take him to Germany but without a solid preparation Cahill is going to be a risk.

The Socceroos open their World Cup campaign against Japan on June 12 before playing Brazil on June 18 and finishing the group matches against Croatia on June 22.

Tottenham's Controversial Goal. The Football Flog's Opinion

The following email was received this morning:

Dear Mr. Flog,

Do you think that Tottenham's goal against Arsenal on the weekend was unfair? Should they have played the ball out when the two Arsenal players collided and stayed down injured?

Regards,
Jason Croal

The Football Flog responds:

Dear Jason,

Many times I have been on the wrong-end of controversial refereeing decisions and I'm glad you asked this question. Putting the ball out of play is a contentious issue in football these days particularly with players' desire to waste time or thwart the opposition's attack by feigning injury.

Recently I was involved in a very similar incident during an impromptu Father-Son football game at my (illegitimate) 5 year-old son's primary school picnic.

It all started when a 6 year-old boy refused to put the ball out when a particularly vicious tackle from an over-zealous 5 year-old forced me to hit the ground and wait for treatment. The young lad (who was clearly offside anyway) then fouled his way through our defence to score his side's first goal. It ruined our clean-sheet and though we were still seven goals ahead, our otherwise strong defence (consisting of my 24 year-old brother and his 3 friends) were heart-broken as this would be our first clean sheet since we removed the bell from the ball when we played the Blind Association Football Team.

An unhelpful toddler posing as a physio offered me some fairy-bread to aid my recovery but the anger raised inside of me by the cheating goal-scorer effectively numbed the excruciating pain inflicted by the little 5 year-old (now crying) assasin. I proceeded to do the only thing a responsible father-of-a-boy-in-the-same-class-as-the-cheating-swine could do. I sent both the reckless tackler and the offside goalscorer off the pitch and banned them (and indeed their fathers by association) from primary school picnics for the next 5 years. Lesson learnt.

In answer Jason, in my view the goal was unfair and ball should have been played out however Arsene Wenger should not have let emotion over-rule his common sense when he spoke to the press and branded Tottenham cheats and liars. Rather than getting angry he should have ignored the pain, accepted the injustice and then reacted with common sense and dignity, just as I had done.

Thanks for your question,

FF

Socceroo Injury Update 24/4/2006

Australian soccer fans breathed a collective sigh of relief today when it was announced that Harry Kewell's participation in the FA Cup Final and the World Cup finals was not under threat. Kewell strained an adductor muscle in his right thigh in the second half of Saturday's game with Chelsea. He will miss Liverpool's Premiership match against FA Cup final opponents West Ham United on Wednesday.

The news was not so good for Australia's heroic goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer, who is likely to miss the rest of Middlesbrough's season. Schwarzer fractured his cheekbone in a clash with Dean Ashton in the FA Cup semi-final against West Ham on Sunday. It is not all bad news as Middlesbrough's Head of Medical Grant Downie says, "Mark is likely to miss the rest of Middlesbrough's season but should be okay for the World Cup."

Australia's World Cup squad is named on May 15.

Socceroo Player Preview: Harry Kewell

Harry Kewell's form in 2005/2006 season just keeps getting better. Kewell is set to become the fourth Australian player - after Tim Cahill for Millwall, Liverpool's Craig Johnston and Preston's Joe Marston - to play in an FA Cup final. Kewell was one of the best afield in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea before he went off after 78 minutes with a groin injury. The injury, if serious, is a major setback before the World Cup finals as Kewell's 2004/2005 season was ruined by groin problems.

The attacking left sided midfielder has been a key contributor to Liverpool, having made a run of 27 consecutive appearances for the Merseysiders. Kewell admits though that he must score more goals to get to the level he knows he can achieve. So far this season he has scored 3 goals and made 4 assists.

"If I want to repay the manager, then I have to start scoring more goals for him and for the team," Kewell told Liverpoolfc.tv

"I want to do the things I know I'm capable of doing. That what is driving me on."

Watch the Soccer Squirrel at Arsenal

Go here to watch the Soccer Squirrel have a run on the Highbury pitch in the Arsenal game against Villareal.

Soccer Betting Preview 21/4/2006

It is coming down to the business end of the soccer season in Europe. This weekend there are teams coming off the back of European fixtures whilst others are preparing for FA Cup semi-finals. Add to that an almighty relegation scrap and we have ourselves a tasty weekend of football. Enough chatting Gez-nuts let's get down to business. To my good friend Harry Omless who is so dumb he thinks manual labour is a Spanish poet these are for you:

I'm advising to place bets on four matches on Saturday. My banker is Bolton to defeat Charlton, you can put a sizeable stake on the Trotters. Here are the tips:

Latest Soccer Odds from William Hill

Chelsea to defeat Liverpool again this season (11/10)
Newcastle to smash West Bromich Albion (4/6)
Portsmouth to beat Sunderland at home (2/5)
Bolton too good for Charlton (10/11)

Placed as an accumulator these odds will add up to a return of $9.35 for a $1 stake. To place your bets on these games click here

Socceroo Player Preview: Mark Viduka

It was not looking good at the start of 2006 for Mark Viduka. The Australian captain was struggling to get a regular game for his club Middlesbrough and when he did play he was not doing what he loves to do, score goals. Whilst Viduka was sitting on the bench John Aloisi, Australia's second striker, was helping himself to a bag full of goals for Alaves in the Spanish La Liga. Some columnists were calling for Aloisi to lead the line for the Socceroos in Germany. That has all changed since the V-Bomber started a golden run of goals against Birmingham in March. Viduka has forced his way into the starting lineup and has now scored a credible 15 goals for the season - 7 of those coming in his last 11 games.

The loveable Melbourne lad has one year left on his contract after this season. Recently he has been touted as a summer transfer target for Newcastle and Everton. Both clubs require a classy hitman and after a successful World Cup campaign the moneymen may just come knocking on Viduka's door.

Viduka took no part in Middlesbrough's 1-0 loss to Steaua Bucharest on Thursday due to a minor thigh complaint. It is not believed to be serious and he should be fit for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final match against West Ham. Amazingly Viduka could play in 3 cup finals this season - the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup and of course the World Cup. See how quickly a situation can change in football, just ask Duks.

Socceroo World Cup Player Preview

Between now and when the Socceroo World Cup squad is announced The Soccer Squirrel will be previewing the players that will and possibly could feature for the green and gold in Germany. The previews will inform you of how the players are performing for their clubs and what role they will play in the tournament. We will start with the key figures that will be involved in the squad and work our way through to the fringe players. Today we start with the current captain, Mark Viduka.

Squirrel the Streaker!

Last night was the last time that Arsenal will play a European game at Highbury. It was the semi-final of the Champions League, a huge game with the soccer world watching. Luckily I was able to attend the game. The game was hyped up in the media but overall it was a disappointment. So what better way to liven it up than take off the threads, go for a streak and direct the millions watching to the best soccer site in the world, The Soccer Squirrel. Here are some pictures taken of me during my time on the field at Highbury.

Hou is the perfect man for the Australia job?

So the inevitable has become official, Guus Hiddink will leave his position as manager of the Socceroos after this years' World Cup. I would suggest that everyone who follows the Socceroos knew deep down that our love affair with Guus would be brief. However he will always have a place in our hearts for breaking the 32 year hoodoo and giving the best ever crop of Australian players the chance to play at the World Cup.

We will never forget him if he gets us to the second round, and if he gets us beyond the second round...then I look forward to watching Guus Smith, Guus Vadic and Hi Dink Wong coming through the Australian youth ranks in a few years' time. That said it's probably going to happen anyway.

So who will the next Australian coach be?

Graham Arnold? Dick Advocaat? (I think I heard Craig Foster screaming out "Ray Bartz, Ray Bartz" but I can't sure).

At the moment we can only predict that unless Graham Arnold steps into the role, the job will not go to an Australian. With only one Australian coach in the A-League, in its inaugural year, there is little chance that there is an Australian qualified to do the job - and Australia doesn't want to stagnate again as it did under the management of Frank Farina.

If Arnold doesn't get the job, and I personally don't believe he has enough experience, then the Soccer Squirrel predicts an Australian coach won't take charge of the national team until at least after the 2010 World Cup.

The best candidate is obviously someone who has a lot of experience but we would specifically be looking for a coach with experience in developing players. The FFA has already indicated they are looking for someone who can commit to the role full-time. It would be great to have a coach who will get their hands dirty and try and implement the recommendations of Aime Jacquet at the grass roots level. Essentially the man for the job would be a Football Director who can coach.

The Soccer Squirrel would love to see money thrown the way of Gerard Houllier. Houllier was the Technical Director at the French Football Academy in Clairfontaine until 1998 when France won the World Cup.

A pipe dream?

A number of years ago Houllier was linked to a similar Technical Director role for Australia, so perhaps now the time is right. And let’s not forget that we managed to get Guus so there is no reason we can't get someone of a similar standing to head the next stage of Australia’s football development.

*********************************************************
Over the next few months at the Soccer Squirrel we will be looking at the possible candidates and possibly even throw one of two chief contributors' hats into the ring. (Simon and Greg have vast managerial experience on Championship Manager).

As always your comments, thoughts and suggestions are welcome in the comments below. Or email us at ozsoccersquirrel@yahoo.com

Australia searching for a full-time coach

The hottest topic in the football world has finally been resolved with Guus Hiddink, the Australian national coach, announcing that he will coach the Russian National side after the 2006 World Cup.

Hiddink meanwhile was pleased to get the decision out of the way after all the recent media attention that had him linked with the vacant England, South Africa, Real Madrid and Russian positions.

“I'm glad that this is off my chest now,” said Hiddink. “If all the final details in my private life are settled as planned the deal will be sealed.”

“I have been to Russia already to look at things and I already know that it will be fun to work there. They have some young players with a great future, as far as I can tell now.”

“I will live in Amsterdam and fly to Russia whenever it's needed.”

“That could be for a period of several weeks or just for a few days.”

Hiddink also admitted that he had spoken with Abramovich about the job.

“Of course I spoke in the past with the Russians at Chelsea already,” he said.

“I spoke with Abramovich, who wants to help lift the Russian national team to a higher level.”

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has indicated that they hope to appoint a full-time coach to replace Hiddink who is combining the role with coaching Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.

FFA, Head of High Performance Mr John Boultbee, said that Hiddink’s preference was to stay in Europe and this would not suit the FFA’s long term plans of appointing a full time coach.

“Guus informed us some time ago that he was looking at several offers for after the World Cup,” said Boultbee. “In terms of full time involvement he had a very strong preference to continue to live in Europe and full time involvement with Australia would mean spending longer periods away from Europe than he preferred.”

“So we have known for some time that it was not going to work after the World Cup and have put steps in place for the future - not an easy task.”

The FFA, which has not ruled out hiring an Australian, said it would be happy for assistant coach Graham Arnold to coach the team in their opening Asian Cup qualifiers if a suitable replacement had not already been lined up.

“The local candidates are led by the people we've got working for us at the moment, Graham Arnold,” Boultbee said.

“We're in a very good situation in that it will be seamless when Guus leaves with Graham Arnold and Johann Neeskens ready to take our teams to the Asian Cup if we haven't totally completed the task of naming a new coach.”

“We are absolutely confident that we will be able to attract a coach of a very good calibre,” he said.

A strong performance by the Socceroo’s at the World Cup, which is the biggest shop window for players and coaches, will go a long way to attracting a coach of the highest calibre.

Premiership Betting Preview 7/4/2006

I'd like to introduce myself as I am a new contributor to The Soccer Squirrel blog, my name is Gerry the Gambler. You will get to know me over the coming few weeks but right now it's time to get down to business. I'll be providing my expert betting tips for all you punters out there on this weekend's Premiership fixtures.

This weekend's games are very hard to call as they always are after midweek European games. There is also the added difficulty of teams fighting against being relegated. But you have come to the right place as I'm a betting man and I've done quite well for myself (how do you think I could afford this hat).

My banker (that is call the banker, re-mortgage the house and put it all on) is Liverpool to beat Bolton on Sunday. The Reds cannot stop scoring and Bolton's form has dipped at the wrong time of the season.
My Iraqi (don't even think of going near it) would be Charlton vs Everton. Charlton have an FA Cup replay coming up and Everton's recent away form has been poor. It looks like a draw but I'm going to pass on this one.

So here are my tips:
Portsmouth to overcome Blackburn at home (8/5)
Sunderland and Fulham to play out a draw (9/4)
Wigan to draw with the luckless Birmingham (12/5)
Aston Villa to defeat West Brom at home (Evens)
Chelsea to beat West Ham in the London derby (2/7)
Liverpool to beat Bolton (1/2)
Arsenal and Man Utd who both need a win to play out an exciting draw (11/5)

I would advise on leaving alone Middlesbrough v Newcaslte, Tottenham v Man. City and Charlton v Everton.

If you want an exciting bet, place a sixfold from 7 which will cost you $7 for a $1 stake and you will stand to win $1150.

I'll be back on Monday to see how my tips went. Until then happy punting.

Football Flog Q&A 1st Edition

I wasn't surprised to log into my email and find my inbox with 1218 new emails. After deleting all the emails from ex-girlfriends and admirers I came across a few questions which I have posted answers to.

James from Kew, Victoria wrote:
"I want the rumours to be confirmed. As soon as I saw that photo of the Football Flog I was certain it could mean only one thing, and since speaking to fellow soccersquirrel subscribers they have asked the same question...that glare...that stubble...? Is the Football Flog Chuck Norris' love child? The public wants answers."

Yes James, there are also 100 amazing facts about me that basically revolve around my large appendage, seducing skills and ability to roundhouse kick (in my case goals).

Carl from Werriwa, New South Wales wrote:
"I would be interested in your opinion regarding the best football league inthe world. Is it the Premier League, Serie A or La Liga? Are there any others in this class? Which league is the best in your opinion? What do you think of the local Australian leagues? I have no doubt that you will have absolutely no ability whatsoever to answer this."

Well Carl can I firstly just say that I am not surprised that you had time to sit down at a computer, probably stolen, and send me this question - go out and get a job you bum.

In answer to your question, at the moment I think the Spanish league is the best to watch, the English has the best depth and the Italian has the best footballers wives.

Locally I rate the Victorian Provisional League South-East Division 1 definitely on par with at least Divizia C in Romania where I played for Aversa Bucureşti. I spent some time in Romania on loan from my Scottish club, East Fife. My agent thought it was a good idea to get out of Scotland after I scored three spectacular own goals, one a chip from the halfway line, in a relegation scrap match with East Stirling. I was also having an affair with the captain's wife...and his sister.

Introducing the Football Flog

Hi, my name is the Football Flog and I am a new contributor to the Soccer Squirrel Blog.

I have only recently become interested in soccer in Australia again because apparently Guus Hiddink is a distant relation of mine.

I was extremely good at soccer in my youth however my burgeoning International career was cut short by a nasty bedroom injury. What can I say, I love the ladies and the ladies love me.

I will be answering any questions that you may have. The best questions and responses will be posted on the blog. I can be contacted at footballflog@yahoo.com.au

Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Aussies in action in the UEFA Cup

After watching Arsenal dismantle Juventus in the Champions League earlier this week with a style that can only be described as beautiful, it was with great anticipation last night that I switched on to Europe's second tier competition, the UEFA Cup, to watch the Australian players, at both Middlesbrough and FC Basle, similarly dazzle. As I should have known, the standard is a fair bit lower, however there were some good performances amongst the Australian contingent.
On the park for Boro were Mark Schwarzer in goal, Viduka up front and Brad Jones on the bench. For FC Basle sometime striker Mile Sterjovski started on the left of midfield while everyone's favourite bus driver, Scott Chipperfield, and former Perth Glory starlet, and now Serbia International, Ivan Ergic, warmed the bench.

Mark Schwarzer: 3/10
Schwarzer looked comfortable early on, easily dealing with 3 goal-bound efforts in the first 40 minutes. All were simple saves but the Socceroo penalty hero was the victim of an extremely cruel bounce in the 43rd minute which resulted in the first Basel goal. Seeing as his central defender, Chris Riggott, had ducked under the ambitious long range effort by Delgado, Schwarzer would have only seen the ball late and he dived towards where anyone other than Bruce Grobbelaar would have gone. Instead the shot dipped and bounced uncharacteristically high off the slippery turf and into the back of the net. Poor Schwarz.

He could hope for no sympathy two minutes later though, when a through ball down the right hand channel caught the Boro defence off guard and Schwarzer went to ground far too early, anticipating a shot across goal, rather than protecting his near post - which is, of course, where the ball ended up. A bad error.

The rest of his game was solid but if anything the two quick goals to Basel indicate how quickly a game can change and how a slice of bad luck can seriously affect the confidence of a player.

Viduka: 5/10
Mark Viduka is in a rich vein of form at the moment and is keeping Boro top scorer Yakubu out of the starting line-up. He started brightly enough but in the slippery conditions the service to the big man was not great and his greatest contributions for the half were a few nice lay-offs for midfielders joining the attack and winning a couple of corners. Tellingly he was let on for the whole game as Yakubu replaced Hasselbaink in the second half but his touch was often sloppy and a couple of promising positions were squandered by poor control.

Sterjovski: 6/10
A good game from the man whose last Socceroo appearance was a number of years ago. He provided Schwarzer with a comfortable save in the first half with a shot on the turn from 10 yards, but in his defence it was a difficult chance. Solid rather than spectacular, Mile was involved in a few nice passing exchanges while on the pitch but never looked like he would rip the game apart.

Chipperfield: 7/10
After 66 minutes, Scott Chipperfield entered the fray at the expense of Sterjovski, taking his place on the left side of midfield. Of all the Australians it was Chipper who most impressed. He was sharp, full of running and was unlucky not to score when he found himself on the end of the passing move of the night. His side-footed shot beat an out of position Schwarzer but Chris Riggott stood in his way and cleared the ball off the line. For a neutral fan it was a good thing as there is still life in the tie yet, however it was disappointing for Chipperfield who really looked like he was one of the classier players on the pitch. If comparisons are your thing then Chipperfield looked a better player than left-sided England-hopeful Stewart Downing did on the opposing team.

Ergic: 4/10
He came to Australia and at a young age looked like he would one day pull on an Australian top and add some real class and creativity to the Australian midfield. Unfortunately it was not to be. Taken to Juventus, Ivan Ergic went back on an earlier statement that he wanted to play for Australia, and has since played for Serbia-Montenegro. Nevertheless it would appear he is no great loss to the Australian side as his potential may have been overestimated. He was energetic but had little time to impress.